Parinaaz Boparai, M2, Lydia Back, M1, and Joshua Jones, M.D., OUWB ’23, a resident anesthesiologist at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, during the skills night event on Feb. 9, 2026.
Forty medical students from OUWB recently participated in a special event designed to introduce them to basic anesthesiology-related procedures.
The event was held Feb. 9 at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (WBUH) in Royal Oak’s Marcia and Eugene Simulation Learning Institute (SLI), which is one of the most advanced medical simulation facilities in North America.
It was hosted by OUWB’s Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG), a student organization that aims to expose medical students to the field of anesthesiology.
Aryan Arora, M2, president of AIG, said it was the first opportunity for most of the participating OUWB students to get hands-on experience in the specialty.
“One of the main reasons we have this event is that interest in the specialty of anesthesia is going up sky high,” he said. “The job market is increasing, and more and more students are interested because of all the benefits the specialty has to offer as a whole.”
The way medical school is generally structured, however, means that most students don’t do an anesthesia rotation until their fourth year, said Arora. Students were clamoring for the opportunity to be part of the night, too: Arora said when the sign-up sheet was made available, all spots were filled in less than two minutes.
“We want to expose students earlier so they can get a feel for the field,” he added.
During the event, students rotated through four stations, each led by a Corewell Health physician. Featured procedures were airway management, which taught basic airway skills including intubation techniques; ultrasound IV and nerve block basics; epidurals, which included review of spinal anatomy, landmarks, and placement; and central lines, which focused on indications for central venous access and placement.
Eric Battista, M.D., a resident anesthesiologist,
instructs M1 Matt Su.
Arora said that it was decided to focus on those four procedures because that’s what was recommended by AIG faculty advisor Eric Reilly, D.O., an anesthesiologist and assistant professor, Department of Anesthesiology.
He said it’s his hope that the skills night event provided “a realistic view of what a career in anesthesiology looks like.”
“I’m proud to support opportunities that help our students make thoughtful, informed decisions about their future,” he said. “I hope students leave with a deeper appreciation for the life-saving skills anesthesiologists use every day.”
“More importantly, I want them to gain practical tools and confidence they can carry forward, regardless of the specialty they ultimately choose,” he added.
Students said they appreciated the opportunity.
“It’s awesome,” said Matt Su, M1. “It’s a great chance to talk to anesthesiologists, get some hands-on experience, and really open our eyes to the specialty. Doing it in real life is super cool.”
Parinaaz Boparai, M2, said she wanted to participate because
“It’s a lot of hands-on practice that we don’t get in other formats through our classes,” she said. “It’s really awesome to be able to do things that we don’t get to see elsewhere.”
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].
To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.
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